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Van Alstyne Library News & Notes

If you were out-and-about last Saturday morning you saw about 500 people turn out for the Little Big Town Run for Riley. Judy Kimzey, Aaron Emdy and I were proud to represent your library in this run. Check our pre-race photo.

Are you reading this article before 5 p.m. on Friday, May 9? Then you have time to come to the library and be a part of the awards ceremony for Teen Council’s 11th Annual Art Contest. The art created by middle school and high school students in the local area, is an expression of their individual thoughts, feelings and talents.

Since Mother’s Day is coming up, I researched the holiday in some of our resources. It seems that almost every country in the world sets aside a special day to recognize mothers and thank them for their special place in our lives. The date varies from as early as February in Norway to October in Belarus. In some countries, the day is fixed each year, as in the United States where it is always the second Sunday in May; in other countries, the date changes based on other events. In England, the fourth Sunday in Lent is Mothering Day. Ironically, a single, childless woman named Ann Reeves Jarvis is the founder of America’s Mother’s Day. She meant it to be a special day between mothers and their children with simple celebrations and time together. By the time she died in 1948, she was sick of the commercialism surrounding it and tried to get it removed from our country’s official holiday calendar.

Celebratory activities around the day for our mothers are much the same around the world. Cards are bought or made, special meals are prepared and served and candy or some other sweet treats are boxed and given. Many churches distribute flowers to all of the women on Mother’s Day Sunday. I remember my grandmother telling me that a red flower means your mother is living and a white flower means she is no longer living on this earth. I do not know if those meanings have passed us by. Whether you are a mother or not, you are certainly a son or daughter; remember your mother in a special, personal way this Sunday.

Several new studies are reporting on the lives and lifestyles of people who are 90+ years old. There are few real surprise in the lifestyle choices that lead to a long life – good nutrition, don’t smoke, exercise a bit each day even if it’s just a 15 minute walk. Non-physical activity played an important role as well, including attending book clubs and playing board games. That is great news for you since we have plenty of books to read, a monthly book club, and all summer we will have Friday Family Fun where you can play board games. Come by the library and extend your life.